Shakespeare, William · published 1623 · first performed or written 1599 [1598-1599] (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T35 Fools, wit and railing typicality 0.78 · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T35: fool, wit, aristippus, achilles, wise, fools, patroclus, thersites, master, men.
I think he be transformed into a beast, For I can no where find him, like a man. My Lord, he is but even now gone hence, here was he merry, hearing of a Song. If he compact of jars, grow Musical, We shall have shortly discord in the Spheres: Go seek him, tell him I would speak with him. He saves my labour by his own approach. Why how now Monsieur, what a life is this That your poor friends must woe your company, What, you look merrily. A Fool, a fool: I met a fool i' th' Forest, A motley Fool (a miserable world:) As I do live by food, I met a fool, Who laid him down, and basked him in the Sun, And railed on Lady Fortune in good terms, In good set terms, and yet a motley fool. Good morrow fool (quoth I:) no Sir, quoth he, Call me not fool, till heaven hath sent me fortune, And then he drew a dial from his poke, And looking on it, with lacke-lustre eye, Says, very wisely, it is ten a clock: Thus we may see (quoth he) how the world wags: 'Tis but an hour ago, since it was nine, And after one hour more, 'twill be eleven, And so from hour to hour, we ripe, and ripe, And then from hour to hour, we rot, and rot, And thereby hangs a tale. When I did hear The motley Fool, thus moral on the time, My Lungs began to crow like Chanticleer, That Fools should be so deep contemplative: And I did laugh, sans intermission An hour by his dial. Oh noble fool, A worthy fool: Motley's the only wear. What fool is this? O worthy Fool: One that hath been a Courtier And says, if Ladies be but young, and fair, They have the gift to know it: and in his braine, Which is as dry as the remainder biscuit After a voyage: He hath strange places crammed With observation, the which he vents In mangled forms. O that I were a fool, I am ambitious for a motley coat. Thou shalt have one. It is my only suit, Provided that you weed your better judgements Of all opinion that grows rank in them, That I am wise. I must have liberty Wiithall, as large a Charter as the wind, To blow on whom I please, for so fools have: And they that are most gauled with my folly, They most must laugh: And why sir must they so? The why is plain, as way to Parish Church: He, that a Fool doth very wisely hit, Doth very foolishly, although he smart Seem senseless of the bob. If not, The Wiseman's folly is anathomized Even by the squandring glances of the fool. Invest me in my motley: Give me leave To speak my mind, and I will through and through Cleanse the foul body of th' infected world, If they will patiently receive my medicine.
nodes 647–708 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 16 of 44 in this edition
Length
501 words · 660 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T35 — Fools, wit and railingcross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.782 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I thinke he be transform'd into a beaſt, For I can no where finde him, like a man. My Lord, he is but euen now gone hence, Heere was he merry, hearing of a Song. If he compact of iarres, grow Muſicall, We ſhall haue ſhortly diſcord in the Spheares: Go ſeeke him, tell him I would ſpeake with him. He ſaues my labor by his owne approach. Why how now Monſieur, what a life is this That your poore friends muſt woe your companie, What, you looke merrily. A Foole, a foole: I met a foole i' th Forreſt, A motley Foole (a miſerable world:) As I do liue by foode, I met a foole, Who laid him downe, and bask'd him in the Sun, And rail'd on Lady Fortune in good termes, In good ſet termes, and yet a motley foole. Good morrow foole (quoth I:) no Sir, quoth he, Call me not foole, till heauen hath ſent me fortune, And then he drew a diall from his poake, And looking on it, with lacke-luſtre eye, Sayes, very wiſely, it is ten a clocke: Thus we may ſee (quoth he) how the world wagges: 'Tis but an houre agoe, ſince it was nine, And after one houre more, 'twill be eleuen, And ſo from houre to houre, we ripe, and ripe, And then from houre to houre, we rot, and rot, And thereby hangs a tale. When I did heare The motley Foole, thus morall on the time, My Lungs began to crow like Chanticleere, That Fooles ſhould be ſo deepe contemplatiue: And I did laugh, ſans intermiſſion An houre by his diall. Oh noble foole, A worthy foole: Motley's the onely weare. What foole is this? O worthie Foole: One that hath bin a Courtier And ſayes, if Ladies be but yong, and faire, They haue the gift to know it: and in his braiue, Which is as drie as the remainder bisket After a voyage: He hath ſtrange places cram'd With obſeruation, the which he vents In mangled formes. O that I were a foole, I am ambitious for a motley coat. Thou ſhalt haue one. It is my onely suite, Prouided that you weed your better iudgements Of all opinion that growes ranke in them, That I am wiſe. I muſt haue liberty Wiithall, as large a Charter as the winde, To blow on whom I pleaſe, for ſo fooles haue: And they that are moſt gauled with my folly, They moſt muſt laugh: And why ſir muſt they ſo? The why is plaine, as way to Pariſh Church: Hee, that a Foole doth very wiſely hit, Doth very fooliſhly, although he ſmart Seeme ſenſeleſſe of the bob. If not, The Wiſe-mans folly is anathomiz'd Euen by the ſquandring glances of the foole. Inueſt me in my motley: Giue me leaue To ſpeake my minde, and I will through and through Cleanſe the foule bodie of th' infected world, If they will patiently receiue my medicine.